Sunsets and Turtle Ducks
by PhoenixClaw
Summary: When Toph finds it difficult to cope with recent events, Sokka suddenly finds himself floundering for the right things to say. Can the water tribe boy cheer up his young friend, or will painful memories only prove to make things worse? [POST 'Crossroads']


**_DISCLAIMER :_** Not a chance, but I do have an enormous amount of respect for the creators and producers of the show.

This is a little something that popped into my head about a week or two ago and I finally decided to write it out. Consequently, it's also my first Avatar fanfiction, so constructive criticism is much appreciated. ;P

More or less, I've found that 'shipper wars' are quite a brutal thing. So, I figured I'd throw out a little something to help balance the fight. (Seriously, I can't figure out for the life of me why everyone writes Sokka as some heartless jerk. I always thought he was a rather nice guy, albeit a little misguided at times.)

Well, the whole point of this was to show Sokka's better side, as well as prove (hopefully) that Tokka can be done while keeping both of them in character. I considered this a challenge, so I hope you have as good a time reading this as I did writing it.

Also, this takes place right after 'The Crossroads of Destiny' for a reason; a matter this delicate needs a powerful catalyst to get it going, so what better way than a huge emotional upset on several different levels?

Enjoy!

* * *

Darkness had overtaken Ba Sing Se much like Azula's coop; all-consuming and without hope for redemption. Situated near the campfire, Sokka slumped down to the soft earth beneath his feet. At least they were safe...for now. 

He glanced over to his copper-toned sister as she tended to Aang, cradling his limp body as they both tried to recover from the day's ordeals. The young water tribe boy shook his head side to side, trying desperately to ward off the thought that his arrow-marked friend might not even make it through the night. Special properties or not, there had only been a little spirit oasis water and Katara's ability to heal was still in its infancy. Who knew how deadly a bolt of lightning could be, especially to the Avatar...

_Maybe it wasn't enough...maybe Aang really is going to..._

Sokka gave his head another fierce shake. No sense thinking like that; as foreign a concept as it was to him, being optimistic seemed the only way to get through this. A muffled snore echoed across the small coven of trees, marking the location of their two newest traveling companions. Despite his kingdom's downfall, the Earth King had maintained a surprisingly calm demeanor not only during the escape but also throughout their evening meal. Now, both he and Bosco were trying to rest, using Appa as an over-sized pillow. Momo was already fast asleep atop the sky bison's broad tail.

As the young man peered around camp, his eyes finally settled upon a small earthen tent propped up at the far edge of the grounds. Toph had retired earlier than the rest of them, something about needing to 'think things through', if he remembered correctly. A harsh breath was expelled into the night.

_Tch, more like 'sleep it off while everyone else is worried sick'._

A scathing frown found itself directed towards the rock shelter. Scowling always seemed to make him feel better, so why not put it to good use? Satisfied that he had done his part, Sokka finally decided to call it a night and put his sentry duties on hold. Rising to his feet, the young man directed one last glance around the encampment, making sure everything was in proper order. Aang finally looked like he was sleeping peacefully, and Katara had apparently drifted off along with him. Figuring it best to conserve his energy, the young water tribe boy shambled off to his sleeping bag and was soon snoring loudly.

-

Sokka shot bolt upright when something glided through the trees behind him. The young man was on his feet in an instant, bladed boomerang already in hand. It was only after he had taken three steps forward did he realize that if something actually _was_ there, he had just completely revealed himself. Halting mid-stride, the copper-skinned youth held his breath and listened. Luckily for him, the fire had burned down to a scant few embers.

(Tak-tak-tak)

He flinched at the sound. That had come from Toph's side of camp. Should he wake the others? No, that would make too much noise. There was still a chance no one had seen the campfire. Oh man, this was bad, if it was the Dai Li...

(Tak...tak-tak)

Steeling himself, the copper-skinned boy inched forward slowly, careful not to make a sound. It could just be a wild animal, or the wind...or an entire squadron of elite fire benders.

Sokka felt a cold chill creep down his spine. Why did he have to go and think _that_?

(Tak-tak...tak-tak)

He was almost to the clearing, all the while making sure to take gentle and deliberate footsteps. The last thing they needed was Toph bursting out with a war whoop and tossing rock slides every which way. If she wanted to sleep things off, that was fine with him. All he had to do was make sure the nasty ol' fire benders kept moving along and everything would be just-

(_Tak-tak_)

The young man nearly jumped out of his skin as he spun about, boomerang held high overhead. Just as he was about to give some Fire Nation general the worst headache of his life, Sokka simply froze in place, and blinked.

Before him sat a woodpecker-squirrel, casting a malevolent glare above a stout little beak; it's fluffy gray tail began to swish irritably at the interruption to it's nighttime meal. The young man let out a great sigh of relief, then assumed a dull look.

"Shoo."

He swung his boomerang in a sweeping motion, which only enticed the small creature to chitter fervently. A second swing sent the animal scurrying back up the tree, fur and feathers puffed out to their full extent. Sheathing his weapon, Sokka turned back towards camp...only to smack himself in the forehead.

_Aww, that thing probably would've made a great sandwich..._

Too tired to care, he proceeded to shamble off, passing by Toph's little earthen hut as quickly and as quietly as possible. Already envisioning the sweet embrace of his sleeping bag, Sokka was somewhat surprised to hear a series of muffled coughs coming from the young earthbender's dwelling. Not quite sure what to make of that, the copper-toned boy gingerly approached her rock tent.

He'd just make sure she was okay, then go to bed. Knock, let her yell at him for being nosy, then eight hours of sleep. It sounded like a good plan.

Sokka rapped a hard knuckle along the earthen rampart.

Funny how things don't always work out the way we expect.

A sharp gasp could be heard from within. He quirked an eyebrow, keeping his voice low.

"Toph...? You okay in there?"

No answer. Weird. It almost seemed like he had caught her off guard, if such a thing was possible. He tried again.

"Toph? It's Sokka. Are you al-"

A vertical slab of stone abruptly slid halfway into the earth, providing a small opening in the front of the structure. Toph was sitting with her back against one of the walls, staring straight ahead. Even though the waxing moon provided a decent amount of light, he could barely see her in the shadow of the tent.

"What do you want, _water boy_?" Sokka's eye twitched; that was a new one. The youth absently noted a strained tone in her voice, but he dismissed it out of hand. Instead, a fresh scowl replaced his tentative look of concern.

"Hey, look. I heard you coughing, so I just wanted to make sure you were ok. I'll take that little comment as a 'Yes Sokka, I'm fine, now get lost'."

And with that, he turned to leave, jumping slightly as the stone wall snapped shut behind him. Sokka made it a good twenty feet before an odd sensation began to scratch at the back of his mind. One thing he had learned as a big brother was that girls could usually hide their feelings much better than boys. Along those same lines, girls also gave off certain signals to indicate when something was wrong. He could still remember how Katara's chin would droop every time mom came up in a conversation back home...

The young man mentally reviewed his brief exchange with the small girl. Well, the fact that he had surprised her was probably a pretty bad sign. After that...

_Slight tremor in her voice, didn't earth bend me into a tree, no nasty jabs as I was leaving...hmm._

A tiny battle began to wage within the boy's head as he balanced his values.

_Sweet, sweet sleep...or get yelled at. Eight hours of bliss, or help Toph..._

Sokka rolled his eyes and groaned inwardly as he trudged back towards the small earthen settlement.

_She's just lucky I'm selfless._

The young man had barely gotten within a foot of the rock tent before the same wall as before promptly slid into the earth.

"What do you want _now_, Sokka?"

That proved it; something was wrong. Toph would never give up an opportunity to insult him unless she was terribly ill. The fact that her voice held traces of both anger and desperation only served to prove his point.

"Toph, look. As a big brother, I have an uncanny ability to tell when something is bothering a girl, so I just wanted to-"

He was interrupted by a gruff response.

"Like you said before, I'm_ fine_. I wasn't crying, okay? So just go back to bed already."

Sokka took on a blank look. So much for brotherly instincts...

"Uhh...actually, I was just gonna ask if you wanted some water for your cough..."

Toph's hardened attitude deflated as a tinge of pink crept along her cheeks, unseen by both parties.

"...Oh."

The young man cringed visibly. This had gone from bothersome to awkward almost as fast as Zuko could switch sides. Talk about your royal loyalty.

Despite the situation, he smirked a little at his own wit.

_Heh, 'royal loyalty', I gotta tell that one to Aang._

As the yellow and green-clad girl tucked both knees beneath her chin, Sokka's grin soon bottomed out. He crouched low and looked off to the side, scratching the back of his neck in a clumsy manner. This so wasn't his thing...

"Uh, ya know, it's okay to be upset. This was a really tough day, and we're all feeling-"

Toph hugged her knees a bit closer, turning her sightless gaze away from him.

"That...that's not it..."

Sokka shifted his weight uncomfortably. What had he gotten himself into? The young man never expected something like this...how come Katara got all the warmth and compassion while he got stuck with good old sarcasm?

Just at that moment, a tendril of moonlight drifted through the trees, illuminating a single tear running down the young girl's cheek. Sokka took on a pained expression.

"Are you sure you're-"

"_Yes_."

"Do you want to-"

"_No_."

That went about as well as he expected. Toph tried to swallow a lump gathering in her throat; her voice came out as little more than a pained whisper.

"Sokka, just...leave me alone, okay...?"

Master earth bender or not, the sight of a twelve-year-old girl curled up in a ball with tears in her eyes struck a fierce chord in the young man's heart. He was supposed to be the man of the group, and part of that responsibility was taking care of everyone. As far as he was concerned, that meant keeping them in good spirits, too.

With his warrior's honor at stake, he resolved on the spot to do everything in his power to make her feel better again...somehow. Before he could stop himself, a comforting hand reached out to pat her shoulder.

She scooted out of his reach, turning her back to him in the process. Toph wiped a sleeve across her face before hunching forward.

Sokka momentarily considered reaching out again when a second wall of rock abruptly rose up between them. He blinked in surprise, then let out a weak sigh. A plaintive look went out to his sleeping sister. Crying girls had always been his biggest weakness...

"Toph...ya know, Katara always said I'm a good listener...well...when I'm not talking, at least, but-"

Before he could continue, a slab of earth forcibly shoved him several feet away, cutting off any further discussion. The young man took on a disheartened appearance.

Not sure what else to do, he sat down on his haunches and leaned against the freshly made divider. After some careful thinking accompanied by the muffled sound of a few short sniffles, the young man once again rose to his feet and sauntered off. He made his way over to a large tree at the far end of the clearing and dropped to the ground. Hard.

After a moment, the water tribe boy took on an impish grin as he began to repeatedly drive his heel into the earth. It wasn't the most tactful decision, but at least it would finally get some results.

Lo and behold, within a few minutes, the small rock tent dropped out of sight as a flushed and irritated earth bender stalked over to his tree. Toph plopped down right beside him, a firm scowl set upon her features.

"You're a real jerk, you know that, Ponytail?"

Sokka let the sarcasm just roll off his tongue as he pretended to look in another direction.

"Hmm? Oh, Toph! What a pleasant surprise!"

She cast him a withering glare.

"Why are you so bent on getting me to talk?"

From his body language, the young girl could tell he had pivoted to face her. His tone revealed a grin.

"Ya know, I'm not really sure. I just got the feeling you needed someone to talk to."

Toph let out a 'hmph' and crossed her arms.

"What makes you think I'd want to talk to you, Snoozles?"

He took on a self-righteous smile as he flexed his bicep.

"Are you kidding? What girl _wouldn't_ want to talk to me?"

She punched him in the arm.

Despite herself, Toph smiled a little at his usual antics. She could tell from his breathing that he was trying not to laugh as well.

Both figures remained quiet for the longest time, content only to listen to the crickets chirping and enjoy the shared company. After a while, the young earth bender fidgeted in her seat, trying to summon up the courage to speak again.

"Before...when you and Aang found me, I just escaped from those two idiots sent to bring me back home. I was so worried about getting away and helping Twinkle Toes that I didn't really think about where we were going..."

Sokka cast her a contemplative look. She hurried on.

"I-I know it's no big deal...it shouldn't bother me so much, since...I mean, you and Katara don't even...and Aang lost everyone that was..."

Just as before, the young girl gathered her knees below her chin, though on this occurrence her lower lip began to tremble too. Her brow furrowed into a grimace.

"I'm not some dumb little kid anymore! I'm big enough to be on my own...to make my own decisions, but..."

The moon had risen over the tree line some time ago, peering down silently upon the two children. Sokka could detect a faint redness set against her fair complexion. The young girl's voice began to waver.

"Some part of me wanted to go back, I...I was so happy when I got that letter, when it seemed like they finally understood me...the thought of going home, seeing mom and dad again..."

Toph's eyes began to shimmer in the pastel moonlight, trying desperately to resist the urge to bury herself in the confines of her dress. Her words came out as little more than a choked sob as she turned her head.

"I...I just miss my parents..."

She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing two tiny rivulets of tears to travel down her porcelain features. The young man could feel a great ache envelop him as his friend cried silently at his hip; her small shoulders bobbing up and down. He glanced up to the moon, seemingly lost in thought for many long moments.

_Yue...you were the strongest person I ever met...please, help me say the right things..._

At his utterance, wispy clouds began to pass across the heavenly body in a slow, methodical fashion. If he didn't know better, the young man would have sworn they looked like giant koi fish...

Eventually, the youth glanced back down towards his friend, and smiled.

"We...never got to say goodbye when mom died."

Stifling a sniffle, the petite earth bender cast him a startled look. Sokka plucked a small blade of grass at his feet and began to play with it absently.

"I was seven, Katara was six. There were these two Fire Nation ships returning home when...they spotted our village. Dad and most of the other men were out hunting, so we could barely defend ourselves."

Toph turned her head towards his voice, her own tears momentarily forgotten. Sokka clenched a fist as he tore the small leaf in half.

"They never invaded...we weren't even worth their time. They just used us for target practice. Eventually, dad and the others returned and drove them off, but...it was too late."

He swallowed hard before continuing. The young girl beside him listened attentively.

"Mom...died...protecting us. One of the shots...hit our hut, causing the roof to collapse. She was cradling me and Katara underneath her body when..."

The young earth bender could feel him shaking, as well as the difference in his breathing and heart rate. She couldn't see it, but Toph was nearly certain he was holding back tears. A terrible silence overcame them both as Sokka tried to regain control of his emotions.

"Katara cried for days...I held her every time, trying to be a good brother by never letting her see me cry. I told her it would be ok, that dad would take care of us, and then she'd feel better...I thought mom would have been proud of me for being so strong..."

The water tribe boy took a deep breath, then relaxed completely. It seemed he had finished his story.

Toph set her gaze straight ahead, eyes brimming with tears, though not for the same reason as before.

"Sokka...why did you tell me that...?"

She was met with a fragile silence unbecoming of the boy she knew. From her spot beside him, the young girl could hear him expel a long sigh into the night. He scuffed a foot across the ground.

"I cried myself to sleep for almost three weeks. I even stayed up late just to make sure no one would hear me. Katara never knew...dad didn't either. It hurt so much to be alone, but...I knew they were hurting too, and I thought it would hurt worse if I bothered them about it...I thought I was being a big baby..."

Sokka turned completely so as to look his small friend in her pale, sea foam green eyes.

"That was the worst month of my life, Toph, and I made it even worse by not talking to anyone about it."

The young woman took on a glum expression. So thats why he told her...

She cast her eyes down, thinking over his words. Both figures remained silent for a time, lost amidst their own thoughts and feelings, though connected through a bond of mutual heartache and remembrance. Toph let her legs drop to the earth as she wiggled her toes amidst some grass. The young girl drew in a deep breath.

"Sometimes...I just think, 'maybe if I could see, things would be different, my parents would be different, and I'd be happy'. I've never thought of myself as 'disabled' or anything like that...but I know I'm not normal, and I know my life is different because of it."

The water tribe boy kept quiet; now it was his turn to listen.

"I don't care that I can't see, since I've never been able to in the first place I don't really know what I'm missing, but...sometimes I just...I want to know what things look like anyway...like a sunset, or...a really big tree...I want to know what colors are, and...and shadows, too...I don't even know what color I'm looking at right now..."

She glanced off to the side, a thin frown overcoming her features.

"I...I just think, if I could see, maybe things wouldn't be so...difficult...for everyone."

At that, Toph slouched down a bit more, seemingly spent under the duress of such a speech. Sokka glanced over to her small form and was pleased to see most of her tears had dried up. After several long moments, the young man straightened in his seat and assumed a rather large grin.

"Hey Toph...you still wanna see what a sunset looks like?"

Caught off guard, she cast him a vacant look while quirking an eyebrow.

"Huh?"

By that time, Sokka had already propped himself up, legs crossed, facing his young friend head-on.

"I just got a great idea. Sit up and I'll show you."

Unable to think of a snide remark, Toph simply did as he asked, and was soon facing in the direction of his voice. The young man was nearly bursting with excitement.

"Ok, do you know what an arctic hen is?"

"A what hen?"

He dismissed it with a wave.

"Never mind, bad example. How about a pig-chicken; ya know, anything with feathers?"

She had to think about that for a moment.

"Well...there's a turtle-duck pond back home on the estate. I used to sneak out at night and feed them sometimes."

"Perfect! Did you ever hold one?"

At that question, Toph brightened considerably.

"Yeah. There was this little guy that kept wandering off, and I would have to bring him back to the others."

A pause.

"I think his name was Quackers."

Sokka's smile reached from ear to ear.

"Alright Toph, I want you to think how soft, umm (snicker) '_Quackers' _felt and spread that feeling all across your mind, just like it was a bunch of feathers. Can you do that?"

She nodded.

"I'll try, I guess..."

The young girl caught him off guard with a quick bop on the head.

"And don't make fun of Quackers."

The copper-toned youth cast her a sour look. Toph smiled.

"Ok, big ol' panorama of turtle-duck feathers. Got it."

"Good, now rub your palms together real fast, like this."

He demonstrated for her, looking to all the world as if he would start a fire with his fingertips. The small earth bender mimicked his movements, and could soon feel the gathering heat as a modest smile pulled at her lips.

"I think I got it. Now what?" She was beginning to have a bit of fun with this.

"Alright, while they're still really hot, cup your hands together and close'em tight...yeah, just like that. Can you imagine holding a little ball of heat?"

"Uh huh."

The young water tribe boy nodded accordingly.

"Ok, now..."

He reached out gently, taking her small hands within his own. Though Sokka's heart rate had been elevated ever since his surge of excitement, Toph was surprised to feel her pulse momentarily quicken as well.

The young earth bender found her hands guided slightly outward and up as her copper-toned friend took on a solemn attitude.

"Alright Toph, now just place that little ball of heat right in the middle of all those soft fluffy feathers."

His hands dropped away; she felt the oddest twinge in her heart at the loss of contact. Sokka pivoted to rest his back against the trunk as a warm grin worked it's way across his features. The young man draped an arm across her petite shoulders.

Toph was stone-faced.

"And that's what a sunset looks like! Well, sort of..."

Eager to see her reaction, the young warrior was surprised when two sea foam eyes suddenly began to fill up with tears. She took on a sad smile, trying to force back a wave of mixed feelings that were proving too difficult to resist.

"It's...beautiful..."

All at once, the young woman's face scrunched up tightly, barely able to hold back the surge of emotions that were quickly eroding her defenses. He was just about to apologize for whatever he had done wrong when two small arms wrapped around his middle in a bear hug.

To say the least, Sokka blinked in surprise.

"Toph...?"

She buried her face in his shoulder, too embarrassed to let him see her cry.

"No one ever t-tried to show me before...I...I never t-thought I could, I...I just always figured..."

Her voice dropped to a faint whisper. He could feel tears begin to trickle down his chest.

"Sokka..._thank you_..."

At that, Toph craned her neck upwards just far enough to give him a quick peck on the cheek before returning to her hiding place. Sokka's auburn features began to glow faintly.

Not sure what else to do, the young man wrapped his free arm around her shoulders, cradling her close and keeping her safe. He wasn't really surprised when a genuine smile broke out across his lips.

It was always nice having someone look up to you, but it was even better when you wanted to be looked up to, especially by those who mattered the most...

Sokka gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. Toph held him tightly for a moment before finally pulling away. She took her place by his side, wiping her eyes with a sleeve. Both children peered out into the night, each in their own unique and extraordinary way. Far above, several clouds drifted together as one, looking to all the world as if they were swimming across the light of a near-full moon.

"Hey...Sokka?"

He turned to face her.

"Yeah, Toph?"

She fidgeted in her seat, eventually crossing one leg over the other.

"Do you know what happens to a person when someone earth bends them a few hundred feet below the earth?"

The young man quirked an eyebrow. That didn't sound good...

"Uh...no?"

Toph assumed a mischievou smirk, cracking her fingers in the process.

"Me neither, but if you tell anyone that I cried on your shoulder, you'll be the first to find out, understand?"

The young woman didn't need her sight to see the nasty scowl on his face.

She punched him in the arm again, and laughed.

* * *

(Grin) I hoped you liked it! 

As I said before, this entire piece rests solely on the idea that Toph and Sokka remain IC the whole way through, so please let me know if you felt either of them fell through the cracks at any point. I'd appreciate it. :)

Oh, heh heh, I should also mention that I haven't been able to see every single episode yet, so if I messed up anything...sorry. (Also, I couldn't find any details about when and/or how specifically Sokka and Katara lost their mother, so I just took the knowledge that it was a Fire Nation raid of some sort and went from there.)

Again, thanks for reading, and don't feel shy about leaving a review!


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